Search form

"Descension"

(May 3-Sept. 10) — Renowned London-based sculptor Anish Kapoor, born to a Hindu hyrographer father and a Bagdadi-Jewish mother in Bombay (now Mumbai), began his life as an artist in Israel. He is the 2017 winner of the $1-million Genesis Prize, which he is donating to help refugees in accordance with his "Jewish values," he said. His longstanding interest in the sculptural potential of water is behind "Descension" (presented for the first time in the United States), which represents a breakthrough with this inherently challenging, slippery substance.

Like all of Kapoor’s works, "Descension" is the result of intensive research into material and process, exploring the potential of water to behave in surprising ways. The continuous swirling motion of this 26-foot-diameter liquid mass converges in a central vortex, as if rushing water is being sucked into the earth’s depths. We thus experience Kapoor’s abstract form on multiple levels. Its powerful physicality has a visceral and mesmerizing impact. Yet "Descension" also stimulates the imagination and suggests a social, cultural, and even mythic dimension.

Pier 1 at Brooklyn Bridge Park boasts panoramic views of Lower Manhattan and is open 6:00am-1:00am. Artisanal lemonade and light fare are available at Lizzmonade, open 9am-8pm daily, weather dependent.